Many municipal water districts have taken the water meter reading task hi-tech. For example, the TOUCHREAD brand automated water meter readers of INVENSYS Metering Systems of Uniontown, Pa., provide a portable sensor wand for direct contact with a water meter output pad that electronically transfers the water meter reading to a portable information storage unit connected to the sensor wand. For water meters located in a below ground meter box (pit), the TOUCHREAD brand water meter output pad is typically mounted in the meter box lid so the pad is flush with the top surface of the lid.
As water districts faced significant growth in water meter installations, many have chosen to save the labor costs associated with the hiring additional water meter readers by moving to RADIOREAD brand water meter readers, also of INVENSYS Metering Systems of Uniontown, Pa. The RADIOREAD brand meter readers utilize meter transceiver units to transmit water meter outputs by radio waves from the water meter to portable radio transceivers operated by the meter reader. Water meter output may thereby be accurately read without visual or wand contact with the water meter or with a TOUCHREAD brand water meter output pad, which offers a significant time saving method of meter reading. The radio waves generated by the RADIOREAD meter transceiver unit may even be read at any time of day or night by a vehicle transceiver of sufficient range that is located in any car or truck operated by the meter reader as the vehicle drives by a RADIOREAD-equipped water meter. The operations of the RADIOREAD brand meter readers are more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,329.
However, there is not a really good or reasonable way to install the RADIOREAD brand meter transceiver units in below ground water meter pits, either new or existing, without creating a new hole in the meter pit. The manufacturer of the RADIOREAD brand meter transceiver unit suggests driving a length of xc2xd inch EMT conduit vertically into the ground at the bottom of the meter box with a hammer until the conduit is at a desired level. That desired level is determined to be the point at which the top of the RADIOREAD brand meter transceiver unit, when fully installed on the conduit, will be about 1 inch below the meter pit lid. After the conduit is driven into the bottom of the meter pit, the xc2xd inch tubular opening provide in the bottom surface of the RADIOREAD brand meter transceiver unit is placed over the conduit and pressed into place. The meter pit cover (lid) is then put into place and the installation is complete, according to the manufacturer. However, if the bottom of the meter pit does not have an opening that would permit the xc2xd inch EMT conduit to be driven into the ground with a hammer, the manufacturer states only that xe2x80x9ca different mounting-method may need to be developed.xe2x80x9d
What has been needed is a mounting bracket that may be installed within the meter pit thereby eliminating the need to pound the xc2xd inch conduit into the ground below or otherwise creating new holes in the pit, and that will securely hold the xc2xd inch mounting conduit vertically to allow mounting the RADIOREAD brand meter transceiver unit in the pit at the appropriate level below the pit lid.
One embodiment of the mounting bracket of the present invention is a mounting bracket for a utility meter transceiver unit, comprising a main bracket piece having a first end and a second end, with a through opening at the first end sized to receive therethrough a utility pipe that is in communication with a utility meter, and with a receiving channel at the second end; an upright bracket piece having a third and fourth end, sized at the third end to be received within the receiving channel, and sized at the fourth end to be received within a mounting channel within a utility meter transceiver unit; and means to adjust the relative positions of the fourth end of the upright bracket piece and the receiving channel.
Another embodiment of the mounting bracket of the present invention is a mounting bracket for a water meter transceiver unit, comprising a main bracket piece having a first end and a second end, with a through opening at the first end sized to receive therethrough a water pipe that is in fluid communication with a water meter, and with a receiving channel at the second end; an upright bracket piece having a third end and a fourth end, sized at the third end to be received within the receiving channel and sized at the fourth end to be received within a mounting channel within a water meter transceiver unit; and means to adjust the relative positions of the fourth end of the upright bracket piece and the receiving channel.
Another embodiment of the mounting bracket of the present invention is a utility meter set, including a utility meter equipped to electronically transmit its meter readings; a utility meter transceiver unit in electrical communication with the utility meter equipped to retransmit the utility meter""s meter readings and having a mounting channel therein; a main bracket piece having a first end and a second end, with a through opening at the first end sized to receive therethrough a utility pipe that is in communication with the utility meter, and with a receiving channel at the second end; an upright bracket piece having a third and fourth end, sized at the third end to be received within the receiving channel, and sized at the fourth end to be received within the utility meter transceiver unit""s mounting channel; and means to adjust the relative positions of the fourth end of the upright bracket piece and the receiving channel.
Related objects the advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following written descriptions.